November 22
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Year A
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly known as Christ the King, is celebrated on the final Sunday of the liturgical year. This feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, in the aftermath of World War I and amidst growing secularism, atheism, and nationalism. The Pope sought to remind the faithful that Christ is not only the head of the Church, but also the supreme ruler of all creation, transcending every earthly power and government.
The gospel readings and prayers for this solemnity focus on Christ's kingship—one that is marked not by worldly power, but by humility, service, and the gift of Himself through His suffering and resurrection. He reigns with justice, mercy, and love, inviting the faithful to participate in His Kingdom through lives of discipleship and witness to the Gospel. The Church places this feast at the end of the liturgical year to look toward the fulfillment of God’s promises at the end of time, when Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His dominion will be fully realized.
This celebration encourages Christians to renew their allegiance to Christ, recognizing Him as the ultimate foundation of peace and salvation in the world. It is both a culmination of the Church’s journey through the mysteries of Christ’s life and a reminder of the Christian hope for His return and the coming of God's eternal Kingdom.
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Questions about Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
First readingEz 34, 11-12.15-17
Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I myself will take care of my sheep,
and I will watch over them.
As a shepherd watches over the sheep of his flock
when they are scattered,
so I will watch over my sheep,
and I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered
on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
It is I who will shepherd my flock,
and it is I who will give them rest,
– oracle of the Lord God.
The lost sheep, I will seek out;
the one that strayed, I will bring back.
The one who is wounded, I will bind up.
The sick one, I will give strength.
The one that is fat and strong,
I will protect, I will shepherd with justice.
And you, my flock
– thus says the Lord God –,
behold, I am going to judge between sheep and sheep,
between rams and goats.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 22 (23), 1-2ab, 2c-3, 4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd:
I lack nothing.
In green pastures,
he makes me lie down.
He leads me beside still waters
and restores my soul;
he guides me along the right paths
for the sake of his name.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for you are with me:
your rod and your staff give me comfort.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for the length of my days.
Second reading1 Co 15, 20-26.28
Brothers,
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first to be raised among those who have fallen asleep.
For, since death came through a man,
so also the resurrection of the dead comes through a man.
Indeed, just as all men
die in Adam,
so also in Christ
shall all be brought to life,
but each in his own order:
first, Christ,
then, at Christ’s coming,
those who belong to him.
Then comes the end,
when Christ hands over the royal power to God his Father,
after he has destroyed, among the heavenly beings,
every Principality, every Authority and Power.
For he must reign
until the day when God has put all his enemies under his feet.
And the last enemy to be destroyed
is death.
And, when all things are subjected to the Son,
he himself will then submit himself to the Father
who has put everything under him,
and thus God will be all in all.
– The word of the Lord.
GospelMt 25, 31-46
At that time,
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on his throne of glory.
All the nations will be gathered before him;
he will separate people one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
he will put the sheep at his right hand, and the goats at his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right:
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the Kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me to eat;
I was thirsty and you gave me to drink;
I was a stranger and you welcomed me;
I was naked and you clothed me;
I was sick and you visited me;
I was in prison and you came to me!’
Then the righteous will answer him:
‘Lord, when did we see you...?
you were hungry and we fed you?
you were thirsty and we gave you something to drink?
you were a stranger and we welcomed you?
you were naked and we clothed you?
you were sick or in prison...
When did we come to you?’
And the King will answer them:
‘Truly I tell you:
each time you did it
to one of the least of these my brethren,
you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those on his left:
‘Depart from me, you accursed ones,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you did not give me to eat;
I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink;
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me;
I was naked and you did not clothe me;
I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.’
Then they too will answer:
‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick or in prison,
without coming to your help?’
He will answer them:
‘Truly I tell you:
each time you did not do it
for one of the least of these,
you did not do it to me.’
And they will go away, these to eternal punishment,
and the righteous to eternal life.”
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org